Anthony is the English form of the old Roman family name Antonius. Antonius is probably of Etruscan origin.

The name Anthony is derived from the old Roman clan or family name Antonius. Antonius is probably of Etruscan origin.

The name was origianlly spelled without an "h", Antony. The letter "h" was inserted in the seventeenth century, under the mistaken belief that the name derived from the Greek word anthos meaning flower.

One of the most famous members of the family was Marcus Antonius known in English as Mark Antony.

Mark Antony (83-30 BC) was a Roman general who ruled the Roman Empire jointly with Octavian and Lepidus, in the Second Triumvirate.

He was known for both a tumultuous political and personal life. Discord between Octavian and Antony, broke up the triumvirate and caused a civil war. As depicted in Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra, he and his lover Cleopatra committed suicide after his repeated military defeats against Octavian.

Anthony is still a very popular name in many countries today, including the French Antoine, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese Antonio and the German Anton.

[ Where applicable, mouse over or click on image for credit & details. ]